Inferno
by Blufle
Summary: [Others would praise me, adore me, realize that I was to be something great when I grew older. And yet in the one place for which I looked approval, there was none.] The story of Azula: undiscovered hopes, molded personalities, and ultimate destruction.
1. Chapter 1

**Shame on me, starting another fic when I definitely have three other ones that I haven't finished yet! This idea just struck me today though, and I couldn't let it get away from me. Sorry if this first chapter is a little boring -- it serves mostly as background info. Starting with the second chapter I'll include more dialogue and storyline. **

**--------------**

**Summary: **Others would praise me, adore me; realize that I was to be something great when I grew older. And yet in the one place for which I looked approval, there was none. There's more to this princess than precision and deadliness: the story of Azula -- undiscovered hopes, molded personalities, and ultimate destruction.

I'm not sure when I realized I was headed down a fast path to degradation and destruction, but once it hit me, I knew there was no way back. The turns I had taken, the decisions I had made, all of them focused on one main goal in my life; a goal that had long since evaded me. Perhaps these decisions, originally made based on the desired accomplishment of my ambition, became so accustomed to my character that, even after realizing the achievement of my goal was impossible, I continued to make choices based on this former hope. I had formed a habit, a habit of destruction that would inevitably lead to the end. An ending that could not be happy.

I was born a prodigy. My father adored me, my people respected, if not feared me. I even had the spectator's reactions memorized, they occurred so often: after showing a demonstration of my abilities, the on-lookers eyes would first grow wide, their eyebrows raise a considerable amount, then their mouths would slowly drop open. They would blink a few times, as if to make sure they weren't dreaming, and then their mouths would erupt into a smile and words of praise would flow forth from their mouths. In my early years this had all flattered me, and I would smile politely and thank them. But as time passed, I grew accustomed to lavish praises and applause, so much so that it eventually became bothersome to have to listen to my admirers drone on and on. I merely shrugged it all off with a wave of my hand and a roll of my eyes, for their esteem meant nothing, just like the excitement of birthdays wear off as one grows older and older.

Even in my younger days, however, when the praise at first meant something to me, there was one soul who looked on my abilities not with wonder and awe, but with spite and contempt. And in my youth, I could not understand why this person hated me so for simply being naturally gifted. Others would praise me, adore me; realize that I was to be something great when I grew older. And yet in the one place for which I looked approval, there was none.

Zuko. My older brother. As I grew older I would come to understand that his contempt of me and my abilities lay in jealousy, but as a young girl I could not comprehend why he hated me so. How many times could I count when I had run up to him in childish excitement and demonstrated for him a new technique I had developed, only to have him look on me with scorn?

"Zuzu!" I would yell in my baby voice, as that was the pet name I had thought of for him. "Zuzu, look what I can do!" He would then turn and look on, arms folded across his chest and eyes full of fire, already thinking of something horrible to say to me once I was done. But I was not one to give up so easily. I already earned the praise of everyone else in my life, and I would earn his, if it was the last thing I did.

After performing my technique, often impressive for one so young, I would look on him with hopeful eyes, clinging to that last vestige of aspiration, thinking that maybe this time would be different, maybe this time his frown would break into a smile and he would pat me on the back and congratulate me on a job well done. Maybe this time the one who I looked up to would acknowledge my presence and abilities.

But it was not so. He would wait impatiently until I was done, and then scoff, saying, "Azula, don't be such a show-off. Just because you can do something and Father adores you for it, it doesn't make you special or anything." He would then proceed to leave the room, and I was left about to burst into tears.

But tears were for those who were weak, my father had said, and I would choke them back with all my might. In order to dismiss these feelings of sadness, I would replace them with rage and hatred. Zuzu despised me. My own brother hated me. The words echoed in my mind, filling the emotional void with my own despise for him and eventually the rest of the world.

At the time I was deaf to the jealousy in his words, only capable of hearing the poison. I thought his negative response to my abilities was that way because he truly hated me and wanted nothing to do with me; rather it was because of his own insecurities and emotional problems. But as a child this scarred me, and made me what I am today.

I can only remember a few tender moments in my past between me and my older brother, whom I idolized. One time was when I was fairly young, probably three or four, it was the eve of my brother's birthday, and a terrible storm loomed outside. Though I was excited for the next day, as I had received help from my Uncle Iroh in making a pretty card for Zuko, I could not fall asleep. The claps of lightning and thunder outside my bedroom window frightened me, though I was scared to go into my mother and father's room for comfort because if there was one thing my father hated, it was weakness. And at an early age I had learned what emotions I could display to my father; fear was not one of them.

Determined to be strong on my own, I stayed in my bed curled up under the covers; even though they made me hot and uncomfortable, I felt they protected me and dared not emerge from beneath them. Eventually my physical and emotional discomfort won over, and a particularly loud clap of thunder urged me out of my bed. I scampered down the hall to my brother's room, desperate to jump into his bed before the next streak of lightning should strike.

"Azula?" My brother said in loud surprise when I hurriedly climbed into his bed beside him. He had been sleeping and I woke him up; at first I thought he would get mad at me. But instead he said groggily, "What are you doing in here?"

I didn't need to answer, for at that very second, some lightning flashed and some thunder clapped, and I stifled a gasp as I involuntarily clutched his arm. Sensing my fear, Zuko pulled the covers up to our chins in order to help me feel protected, and in a very uncharacteristic fashion snuggled close to me and whispered, "Did you know that Uncle Iroh can make lightning?"

My eyes widened with surprise and a few seconds later, I whispered, "He can?"

Zuko nodded exaggeratingly, as if he himself didn't quite believe it. "It's like firebending, except with lightning. He can shoot it out of his fingertips and zap something so fast that you're not sure if you really saw it or not."

My curiosity piqued, all my fears were forgotten as the storm continued to brew outside without my knowledge. I tried to imagine my uncle in a firebending pose shooting lightning out of his fingers, except it was hard for me to envision since I had never seen anyone do it before.

"One day I'm going to make lightning," Zuko said determinedly. And I, in an effort to be like him, nodded my head and said, "Me too," even though I myself wasn't sure at the time if I really wanted to or not.

Zuko lay down on his pillow and placed his hands beneath his head in a relaxed position; I did the same. He stared at the ceiling with such a calm look on his face, that I spent a few minutes studying the ceiling as well, trying to find what it was that intrigued him so. When I failed at my task, I came to the conclusion that it must be something he was thinking that made him like that, and not something he was seeing, so I curled up on my side and fell fast asleep.

What seemed like an instant later, Zuko was gently shaking my shoulder in an attempt to wake me up. The storm outside had stopped, and as I would soon come to realize, it wasn't an instant later, but a couple hours later.

"Azula, it's almost time to get up. If Father finds you in my room he might get mad. Go back to your own room."

Still being half-asleep, I didn't respond but instead rolled over on my other side in an attempt to ignore him and go back to sleep. He shook me even more and said, "Just stand up. I'll walk you back to your room."

His offer persuaded me, and with my eyes still half-closed, I rolled out of his bed and allowed him to take my arm and lead me back to my own bedroom. Our bare feet gently padded against the cold floors, and his hold on my arm felt gentle but strong as he hoisted me up into my bed. As he turned to silently take his leave back to his own room, I stopped him short by saying, "Happy Birthday, Zuzu."

"I'm six now." he responded with a slight smile. "You need to call me _Zuko_." With that he turned around and exited my room, though before he was all the way out of the door, I called after him, "You're my favorite brother, Zuzu…" I don't think he heard me though, as he did not respond; of course since I was half-asleep maybe in reality I did not speak those words aloud, but only said them in my mind.

Though that is not the only fond memory I have of my brother, the others stand out less in my mind that this one does, as it seems to have branded me in a way the others did not. All other vibrant memories include myself showing off for Zuko in an attempt to win his praise, only to be viciously beaten down with his words, resulting in my disappointment. From the sadness that sprung, I remembered my father's words: "Tears are for the weak, Azula. Be strong." And, being the people pleaser that I started out as, I would immediately shrug off those feelings that should have been natural to me and replaced them with a deep feeling of anger or bitterness. Eventually I no longer had to will away these "weak" feelings -- such as pain, sadness, or fear -- and I knew only hatred.

From the start my father was intent on molding my personality into that of an ideal ruler, so perhaps from the start he also intended to proclaim me as his heir, rather than Zuko, who by birthright should have claimed the position. But I was undeniably better at firebending than my brother, and my father wished to make me perfect in every other way. It angered him when I showed weak emotions, such as grief, pain, fear, or laziness. And yet he did not tolerate happiness very well either, saying that a good Fire Lord or Lady kept their emotions in check, and did not allow sentiment to get the better of them. However, rage was acceptable to him, saying that it was this emotion that made me so powerful; for, from rage came fire. And the hotter my rage burned, the hotter my fire burned.

I remember when my Uncle Iroh left to siege the great Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Se. I also remember when he sent me and my brother two gifts as souvenirs. My brother received a dagger. I was given a doll. I remember holding the doll in my hands, staring at its adorable face and soft features. I remember the rage my father had told me about taking control of my mind. The doll represented feminine fragility, childish ignorance, even. These were not the qualities a Fire Lady possessed. I watched with psychotic delight as the doll burned in my hands from the flames I brought forth. I also remember seeing the expression on my brother's face out of the corner of my eye. He was horrified.

Later that night, as I lay in my bed, I remembered the expression on Zuko's face and wondered what he now thought about me. Ever since I was little, all I wanted was for him to accept me as a firebending prodigy, to praise me as a friend, but most of all, to love me as a sister. He never knew how much I truly did idolize him. The reason I looked up to him so was in fact a little unclear to even me. He had mastered the technique of combining firebending with dual swords, but that meant little to me, since I was far ahead of him in firebending itself. Though he was smart, I was equally intelligent, and though he had my mother's love, I had my father's undying support. Finally one day I concluded that the reason I admired him so was simply because he was my brother, and we shared an unspoken bond simply by being the one another's sole sibling.

My real story starts when I was ten and Zuko was twelve. Zuko had wanted so badly to watch the generals and other important military men discuss battle strategies in my father's war room, though Uncle Iroh advised against it. As much as Zuko respected our uncle, his desire to take part in such a momentous occasion won out in the end, and he was accepted into the war room.

When I heard that Zuko was going to be allowed to go into a war room with all those important men, I became jealous, because I wanted to do everything he did and more. Not to say that the opportunity he was given was something I had specifically been looking forward to all my life, rather, my new goal in life had switched from earning his praise to surpassing him. I had concluded that if I couldn't win his admiration, maybe he would now respect me as someone greater than himself. I speak from experience when I say that younger siblings truly do look up to their older siblings, and if the love is not returned it can be heart wrenching.

The events between the time Zuko went into the war room and the Agni Kai are all a blur to me; everything happened so fast, and everyone was so anxious and upset that my memory starts to fail me at this point. One thing that stands out very vividly in my memory, though, is seeing my brother for the first time after the duel with my father. His face … the wound he received -- it scared me so much. His skin, soft and pink surrounding his eye; his ear, shriveled and damaged by the fire; and his eyebrow, completely gone from his face -- all of this, done to the brother whom I admired so much. As much as I had been hating him recently, for, my hatred had begun to take place of all my feelings of admiration, I could not help but weep that night as I lay in my bed. The tears rolled down my face, and I shook violently in an attempt not to make any noise as I cried, for I still believed that tears were weakness.

Weakness … just like every other emotion. Every other emotion except _rage_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Yes! Yessssss!!!!! Finally! I've been trying everyday since ... well, a while ago, to upload this second chapter, and here it is! The site finally let me upload it! -happy dance-**

**... Okay, I'm over it now. Please don't let that outburst get in the way of reading this chapter. Thank you and happy reading!**

**Oh, I almost forgot! -Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of the characters. I always forget to put the disclaimer on the first chapter. **

* * *

I awoke to the warm, tingling sensation of sunlight that had rested too long upon my fair skin. Breathing in deeply, I rolled over into the shadows, where the sun had not yet risen high enough to reach. A second or two later, as I opened my eyes, I noticed that they felt swollen and bloated. Touching my fingertips delicately to the area just beneath my eyes, the realization hit me that I had been crying for a long time last night. 

_So_, the words entered my mind as I sat up in my bed, _yesterday was real_. The wound my brother received was reality; the mental picture that would forever be branded in my mind was not a figment of my imagination. Zuko was now officially a banished prince of the Fire Nation -- a shame and disgrace to the royal family for disrespecting my father in such an uncivilized way. I felt my heart absorb more hatred for him. Did he honestly think that he knew better than the highest ranking generals and commanding officers in the Fire Nation Army? He had some nerve commenting on the battle tactics of those men.

And yet, as I thought these words to myself, I could not help but feel a sympathetic chord being strung in my heart. Something was gently pulling on an emotion that I did not want to be woken back up; upon realizing this I immediately sat cross-legged on my bed and began a ritual I had developed to curb such emotions.

Closing my eyes, I took in several deep breaths, discarding all emotions and focusing solely on the creation of fire. I placed my hands at an arm's width in front of me, and, centering all my concentration on my fingertips, produced a small flame.

The purpose of this exercise, which I had originated myself, was not to create a large amount of fire, but rather to increase the intensity of the flame. Gathering together all the rage I had in my body, I brought it together and released it; my body tensing as I felt the heated emotion travel from all parts of my body to converge at my fingertip. Slowly opening my eyes, I looked at the once red flame that now burned a light blue. Satisfaction twisted the corners of my mouth into an evil smile, for, at the tender age of ten, I had created something that took years of mastery among other Firebenders -- a blue flame. I watched with sheer delight as the flame danced, hovering just above my fingertips as I released a satisfactory chuckle. I could almost feel the power coursing through my veins, and it invigorated me in a way my ten-year-old self had not yet known. Suddenly, and without warning, I clenched my fist, extinguishing the flame. Opening my hand back up, I stared at my palm. It appeared to be unaffected and perfect, as if the existence of the fire that had been there not two seconds ago never was, and it was all in my imagination.

At that moment, a firm knocking on my door caused me to jump, and I whipped my head around to stare at the door. A voice was heard on the other side.

"Princess Azula?" I snarled as I recognized the one who had spoken; though I was not sure of his name, he was an obnoxious servant whose every word and action seemed to irritate me.

"What is it?" I snapped, feeling as though I was a snake sinking my poisonous fangs into the neck of innocent prey. However, his knocking had startled me, and though no one was around to witness my jump, it embarrassed me nonetheless.

"Your father wishes for your presence in the Dining Hall immediately." My eyes danced with pleasure at the thought of speaking with my father. There was no doubt in my mind that he wished to speak with me about Zuko's banishment, or some other type of important topic that resulted from the Agni Kai. It also somewhat pleased me the way the servant behind the door was obviously cowering in fear of me, for the change in his voice became apparent after I so venomously lashed out at him. _It was only inevitable_, I thought to myself as I climbed out of my bed, _he should know better than to startle the Princess. _

"Tell my father that I will join him as soon as I have prepared myself for the day," I responded with an arrogant tone, implying that I still needed to get dressed, as well as other necessary preparations, such as washing my face and brushing my hair.

There was a slight pause and a shuffle of feet outside my bedroom door, and the servant's slowness angered me.

"Well?" I seethed, the tone of my voice demanding an answer. "Are you going to deliver the message?"

"I, well, your Highness … Lord Ozai seemed especially impatient this morning, and I would hate to worsen his mood with news such as that."

"News such as what?" I said, with a mockingly innocent tone. "Please tell me, for I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Well, Princess…" the servant cleared his throat. "When your father is in an impatient mood, I do not like to further aggravate him by having to make him wait even longer."

"Oh?" I responded, continuing my innocent routine. "And I suppose that to appease my father I should show before him immediately, dressed in my nightclothes rather than appear respectfully?" My anger, now fully released, raged uncontrollably, much like a wildfire that is started in a place that has not seen water for years. "Do you mistake me for my brother? Do you think that I would disrespect Lord Ozai in any way?"

"N-no, Princess Azula. I'm sorry, I will --"

"I am _not _my brother," I screamed, letting out all the anger that resulted from his banishment, all the emotion that I had allowed to be pent up inside of me. And not just rage, but sorrow as well, for, though I did not admit it to myself at first, I pitied my brother and would deeply miss him for quite a few weeks after his banishment. "My _brother_ is a pompous fool who thinks only of himself!"

"I will deliver the message right away Princess Azula!" The servant managed to say before I had the time to continue my rant. And although I heard his footsteps stumble down the hall as fast as he could go, I threw myself face-down upon the floor with a sickening _thud_, and clenched my fists in anger, locking my jaw in a snarl. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes again, except this time their presence was not because of sorrow, but because of the emotional strain I put on my body at that time. My breathing, which had considerably deepened, brought forth barely audible moans as I desperately tried to find a way to channel my fury.

"Zuko, why…?" I asked myself, teeth clenched, though I dared not finish the question. My first instinct had been to ask why he had done something like that to get himself banished, why couldn't he have just kept his mouth shut? Then I could grow up with a brother, then maybe I could somehow make amends with him over the unspoken tension that seemed to emerge between us with my birth. But my mind would not let me finish the question. My mind would not let me feel anything but rage.

So high was the tension that I put on my body, so strong was the feeling that I had to maintain this emotional barrier I had built up, that my body physically could not take it. My nose felt pressured, and I opened my eyes just in time to watch a small drop of blood roll off the tip of my nose and onto the floor. I immediately stood up and ran over to my wash basin that sat atop a finely carved table. Taking the small cloth that I used to wash my face with every morning, I held it up to my nose in order to catch the rest of the blood as it slowly trickled down onto my lip. The sight of the blood had diminished my rage, and I no longer felt tense and confused. My first priority was to stop the bleeding.

Being only ten years old and not very learned in the anatomy of the human body, or cures for injuries, I was not sure how to stop the blood, but it seemed logical enough to hold my head back and sniff, so that the blood would have nowhere to go but back up into my nose. Continuing to hold the cloth up to my nose, I tried this method for a few minutes until it caused me to start coughing. In order to stop the coughing, I brought my head back to its regular position and even leaned forward a little as I held my stomach. That seemed to allay whatever germ or bacteria caused me to cough, and I decided to bring the cloth away from my nose to see if I had stopped bleeding. I felt nothing on my lip afterwards, and even dabbed my nose a few more times, but no new blood appeared on the cloth. Folding the cloth back up so that the blood was not visible, I placed it back on the table next to the wash bin and started for my dresser, so that I could change into a suitable outfit for the day.

However, on my way over to my dresser, my stomach started feeling sour and my vision began to fog over with shadows. Clutching my head, for I started to feel light-headed at the moment, and holding my stomach, I slowly dropped to my knees as I watched everything fade into darkness. An immense heat came over me, like someone had just started up a fire behind me, and I felt like I was going to throw up any second. My vision continued to fade as I felt tiny beads of perspiration form on my forehead and the rest of my face. Feeling like I was going to fall over, I silently rejoiced when I heard an abrupt knocking on my door.

"Azula?" The voice was my Uncle Iroh's. Though I had taken a disliking to him recently, it relieved me that someone had shown up to rescue me at that moment in time. "Your father and brother are waiting for you. What is taking you so long?"

A moan escaped my lips, for I felt as though talking would cause me to throw up. A final, single drop of blood, one that had managed to stay hidden until that very moment, started its way out of my nose just as my uncle opened up the door to see what was wrong.

"Azula!" He said, bending down to hold me once he saw my position on the floor. "What is wrong?" Taking quick note of my face and the blood coming from my nose, as well as observing the sweat on my forehead, he quickly picked me up and placed me on my bed in a sitting position. My vision slowly came back to me, and my urge to throw up alleviated.

"Your nose is bleeding, and you are burning up!" He stated as he reached over to grab the cloth from my wash bin. Without looking at the cloth, he soaked it in some water and brought it to my forehead to sponge off the perspiration, but when he held it up to do so, he noticed the blood.

"Azula, why is this cloth covered in blood?"

Finding my voice, I managed to respond. "My nose," was all I said.

"How did your nose start to bleed?" He questioned, looking more concerned for me than usual, for I always had the impression that he favored my brother over me.

"I don't know," I lied. "It started all by itself." It bothered me that my nose started bleeding because of the tense state I had allowed my body into several minutes before, and I did not want to discuss this with my uncle. Trying to guide the subject off the bloody cloth, I clutched my stomach and said, "My stomach feels sour." Though I did not feel like I had to throw up anymore, I found that mentioning my stomach pains would distract my uncle from my bloody nose.

"Hm," he said, wiping my forehead off with the dampened cloth with a spot that had not been bloodied. "You probably just swallowed some blood from your nosebleed, is all. I think you will be fine." He took the cloth in his own hands; I presumed so that he could take it to have a servant wash it. Holding me under my arms, he lifted me off the bed and placed me on the ground, not letting go until he was certain that I was able to steadily stand on my own. Feeling much better than I had a few minutes ago, I waved a hand at him, and said, "You can go now, Uncle. I still need to get dressed. Father is waiting."

A silent pause ensued, and though I was not looking at him, I imagined the face my uncle was making at the moment, and I crossed my arms across my chest in despise of him.

"You know, Azula," he said quietly. "Sometimes physical illnesses that seemingly have no cause are in fact the result of a mental or spiritual imbalance." He leaned down to make his face equal with mine, and though I felt him staring into my golden-brown eyes, I refused to return the gaze.

"Is something bothering you, niece?"

I did not respond. He misinterpreted my spiteful silence, thinking that something indeed was bothering me and I was merely hesitant to tell him. My silence, however, meant that I was finished with the conversation and wished for him to leave the room. Expecting him to read my mind, I walked over to my dresser and started pulling out some clothes.

"Is Prince Zuko's banishment the source of your displeasure, Azula?"

His last remark caused me to freeze completely. I stopped pulling the clothes out of my dresser, and my mind started racing furiously. It irritated me that he referred to my brother as "Prince Zuko". Though my uncle was merely calling him by a name that he truly was, a prince, no one else had ever called him that; not my father, nor my mother before she had mysteriously disappeared, though she did affectionately call him her son, and I certainly did not refer to him by that name. Oftentimes when speaking to me of Zuko, the servants and soldiers merely called him "your brother", and this suited me well, for it implied a derogatory tone that he was not worthy of being called "prince". Of course, only my Uncle Iroh would call Zuko a _prince_.

Deciding to demonstrate to my uncle my awesome abilities that I had not yet shown another soul, I turned around with a no doubt mischievous look in my eyes, and brought forth a small flame with my fingertips. "Uncle," I said threateningly, as I concentrated my rage like I had before while meditating. "I think you had best leave the room. I need to get dressed." Out of the corner of my eye, I secretly rejoiced when I noted the red flame start to burn blue. My next goal, I stated to myself in a mental note, would be to produce the flame blue to begin with, rather than turn it from red to blue after I had already brought it forth from my fingers.

"Azula," my uncle responded, taking his hand out of his sleeve to produce a blue flame as well. "I respect both you and your wishes. But it is unhealthy to have your emotions build up inside of you while you sit back and deny their presence." With that he diminished the flame in his hand, undoubtedly produced merely to prove to me that he was neither intimidated nor impressed by my abilities, and took his leave of my room.

After he had left and shut the door behind him, I rid my fingertips of my blue flame as well, and went back to getting dressed. Though my body was preoccupied with preparing myself to meet with my father, and apparently my brother also, as my uncle had stated, my mind was left in a stagnant slump. Willing myself to forget what my uncle had said about mental and spiritual imbalance, I dismissed all emotion from my mind and play-acted that I was Fire Lady Azula, preparing myself for an important meeting with those inferior to myself.

For, already in my childish mind, I had begun to believe that the throne would one day be mine. Following in my father's footsteps, I would take the royal birthright from my ignorant brother and claim it as my own, just like Lord Ozai had taken it from his idiotic and overly-sentimental brother Iroh.

* * *

**By the way, this will not be a Zukocest story (a story where Zuko is paired with Azula). Sorry for those of you reading this that were hoping for that. Of course, if you want to, you can interpret the story that way ;) but as the author I do not intend it to be so. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here's chapter three. Um, I can't remember the last time I updated, but it seems like it was kind of a while ago. Still hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

I walked to the large room where my father and brother were waiting for me, a malicious grin gracing my face. I was still quite uncertain as to what type of conversation would ensue among the three of us, but I doubted that it would be pleasant, and the thought of us throwing spiteful insults across the room at one another excited me in a way no ten-year-old should have to experience. Perhaps there would even be a physical fight … and flames. Then, I realized, I would have the chance to flaunt my newly learned ability; the potential to produce blue fire.

"Good morning, Fire Lord Ozai," I greeted my father as I bowed low, clutching my left fist with my right hand. Determined to show him the utmost respect and therefore surpass my brother in all ways possible, I bowed lower than I normally did and stayed there for but a second or two longer. It wasn't my desire to have my father suddenly decide that Zuko did not need to be banished, though I doubted that he would change his mind, and I concluded that by displaying my perfection it would effectively lower my brother's reputation in my father's eyes.

Slowly standing back up, I opened my eyes after having closed them in a respectful manner, only to have my gaze fall upon my brother Zuko and Uncle Iroh after quickly looking at my father. A scowl involuntarily swept across my face, for I did not realize that my uncle would be at this meeting as well. Upon seeing him my stomach lurched and for a second I once again felt as though I might throw up.

"Daughter," my father began in his voice that seemed to reek of fear-instilling authority, "your brother is leaving today. He is never to return to the Fire Nation…"

"Yes, Father," I replied, implying that I knew this was to happen. I paused waiting for him to continue.

"…until he has brought back to me the Avatar."

My face widened with a smile that was impossible to contain, for I knew what this meant. "Yes, Father." I said once again. I could feel my uncle's eyes penetrating my very being, but I refused to let him get the better of me. As I grew older and more hateful with the years, he began to act as a harping and constantly whispering conscience, as my own had become nonexistent within me. This only succeeded in bothering me, and spurned me on to performing even more ruthless and spiteful acts than I had before he became so bent on changing me for the better.

"Ozai," I heard my uncle say. "You know the Avatar has been missing for one hundred years! You cannot expect your son --"

"Silence! I am the Fire Lord and all obey me!" My father had released some of his rage upon my uncle with the harsh words he chose to speak. I became like a sponge, soaking in all my father said and did, hoping to learn from observing him and his ways. Perfection, I knew, was what was expected of me, and no less.

"_My son_ is disrespectful, arrogant, and cocky. A fool! He _will _learn to submit to those who have authority over him, and this is the way I have chosen for him." My father paused, his eyes narrowing with a haunting stare that would have sent any normal person into a fit of panic, but my uncle stood firm, waiting for his brother to continue. "If you wish to question my authority, brother, perhaps you should accompany my son on his quest and learn some respect yourself!"

My uncle Iroh, as much as I hated to admit to myself, was a strong man. He knew what he wanted out of life and he knew how to acquire it. But he was also aware of what he _needed_ out of life, which was completely different from what he _wanted_. I believe as well, that, in a way, he also knew what he needed to give back to life itself.

"I will accompany Prince Zuko on his quest for the Avatar, as futile as it might be. But realize, my brother, that the tree does not create shade for the wandering traveler because man ordered it to." Those being his final words, the very last words I heard him say for a long time, my uncle turned to leave the great room, my brother Zuko following him like a lost animal that follows the first thing that shows it the least bit of kindness.

"Azula," I heard my father say after he calmed himself from his brother's comment and actions. "Show me what you know. Give me a demonstration." He leaned back in his throne, making himself comfortable, and I could tell that he needed to gaze upon my expertise and perfection in order to refresh himself. My brother and uncle had drained him of all pride, and soiled the halls of his palace with their disrespect. I would have to restore the sacred aura of this great room by a display of my ability.

"Yes, Father," I said, bowing low and backing away in order to properly distance myself to perform one of my techniques. Breathing in deeply, I concentrated on focusing my rage at one point in my body, and then extending it to my fingertips. Practically shaking with the power I felt coursing through myself, I began kicking and punching at imaginary foes, embellishing the performance with fire at the proper times, and even going so far as to dodge the blows from my enemies that existed only in my mind. And although I knew that no one was there, in my mind's eye it became apparent that the ones I had chosen to fight were in actuality Uncle Iroh and Zuko.

Realizing that it would become necessary to end the demonstration with an impressive display of skill, I decided that the time to show my father the blue flames I could produce was now. Focusing every ounce of anger I had in my body, I brought forth red and orange flames, circling them around my body in an impressive display of light and heat. I then crushed the rage together in my body, imagining it as a source of energy, pent up and ready to explode. After forcing it to stay in a container entirely too small for it, my body, I then allowed the energy of the rage to be released into my flames; the fire burst into a magnificent show of light blue as it continued to circle my body for a split second afterwards. Then, almost as quickly as I brought it forth, I diminished it, and ended the show in a bowing position, leaving my father to process the demonstration in his own mind and judge me accordingly.

"Ten?" was all he asked, his face displaying no emotion, his voice not revealing his thoughts, either.

"Yes, Father," I answered, as was the standard reply in my vocabulary when it came to having a conversation with Fire Lord Ozai. My blue flames, perhaps, impressed him, and he had to be positive that the display of abilities previously laid out before him were indeed performed my a mere ten-year-old.

"Perfect," he said in reply, a smile spreading across his twisted face, a maniacal rage entering his eyes that caused them to dance with villainous pleasure.

_Yes,_ I heard my own voice say to myself within the confines of my mind, _I **am **perfect._

--------------------------------

Later that day, I found myself in the sanctuary of my room, sitting cross-legged on the cold, stone floor, a scowl resting on my face. The birds outside my window filled my ears with the loving chirps of males attempting to attract a female as they flitted about in the most romantic way a bird knew how to. I stared rigidly at the light the sun cast on the floor just in front of me, glancing up every once in a while to observe the particles of dust floating around the room, visible only where the beams of light shone through the window. My own mind, and my room, were in full contrast with the light, airy atmosphere of the natural world outside. A curiosity overtook me, to stand up and pull my chin up to the high sill of the window in order to glance outside and view the world beyond my room. But something held me back. Something inside my mind told me to stay put, remain cross-legged on the floor. _Here you are flawless and hold the highest of regards_, the voice told me. _Don't go out further than what you have been taught._ For, by looking out the window and wistfully wishing to run and play like a normal little girl, my conscience told me that I would be weakening. Strength, my heartbeat said. Strength, strength … no room for weakness, no room for emotion. No room for weak links in the chain of divine-ruling Fire Lords and Ladies. No room for people like Zuko.

I feebly held out my hand in front of my face, studying the lines and curves of my fingerprints, paying special attention to my slender fingers. Fingers that produced fire and caused destruction. _But destruction is who you are_, my mind told me. _Destruction is what you've been shaped for_.

My expression hardened as I forced my delicate hand into a hardening fist, still not breaking my gaze from it. It was as if a tiny vestige of emotion was left within me, still telling me to look out the window; go outside and play in the sun.

"Go ahead," I mocked it, "Just try and make me do it. _I dare you_."

At that very second in time, I heard a rapping on my window. Steeling myself for a split second as I involuntarily prepared myself for battle, my mind told me to calm down, and that the noise I heard upon the glass of my window was something to investigate -- not to attack.

Cautiously standing up, I turned myself and look out the window, only to be greeted by the perpetually smiling face of my friend, Ty Lee. Of course, even at the time I would not have necessarily labeled her my _friend_; she was more like a person whom I spent some time with in order to surpass her. I had found myself doing that lately; putting myself in the presence of others so that I might emulate them. For, although I hated to admit it, Ty Lee was an expert at acrobatics, and as it was in my nature to do so, I wished to be better than her. The influence of my father was once again prevalent in my life in that I kept friends merely for the sake of sharpening my skills.

After observing the fact that Ty Lee was able to reach my window with the aid of a tree, I gently pulled on the handles, opening the window.

"What are you doing here?" I said in a most threatening tone.

"I just wanted to talk with you! And there were so many scary guards at the entrance, I didn't think it would be good to go in that way," she put on an expression that showed how pleased she was with herself. "So I decided to hop a few fences, and climb a few trees -- and here I am!"

"You … wanted to talk?" I said, half not believing her, and half thinking she was idiotic for going through the whole process just to strike up a conversation with me.

"Yes," she said, her frighteningly happy expression changing from that to one of sorrow and pity. "When I heard that Zuko was being banished, well, I thought I should come and help you not be so sad about it."

"Help me not be so sad?" I started, about to go into another fit of rage and explain to her that, on the contrary, I was quite pleased with the outcome of my brother's punishment.

"You sure are asking a lot of questions!" she answered in a high pitched voice. "Yes, of course; if my brother was banished by my father and given a horrible scar to top it off, I'd be feeling pretty sad too. Except," she put on a thoughtful expression, "I don't have a brother."

"Look, Ty Lee," I said, starting to feel exasperated. "I am _not_ sad or upset about my brother's banishment. I am actually happy about it. And, as for his scar, he deserved it, after disrespecting my father that way."

At first Ty Lee looked rather surprised, then a bit frightened at the prospect of hearing her friend say such a cruel thing. Her expression softened, however, and she put on an admiring face. "Wow, Azula. You sure know how to look on the positive side of things. And to think that when I heard about Zuko's banishment, I could only feel sorrow!"

I rose one eyebrow slightly, staring into the visage of my dim-witted friend. "Yes," I said, sarcasm so evident in my voice, it was painful. "Yes, Ty Lee. I am an _expert_ at looking on the bright side."

A silence followed thereafter, and no matter how long I stared at her, my eyes, described by another as a stare that held both the intensity of ice and fire, could not penetrate her happy being, and she stayed, waiting for me to say something. Finally, she broke the silence, swaying ever so slightly in the tree branches, "Well, Azula, it's getting a little uncomfortable sitting in this tree. Why don't you climb down with me and we can go get Mai and do something?"

My gaze at her intensified, although I myself hadn't thought it possible, and she giggled nervously, "Or I could just go…"

"Good idea," I said, somehow managing to keep my voice soft but still have a sharp edge to it. My mouth broke into a slight smile as I watched her struggle to find her footing on the way down the giant tree.

"Uh … a little help, Azula?" I heard Ty Lee's voice cry up from about half way down the tree, and I ran to my window to look down at her pathetic figure. She had somehow managed to get herself tangled up in the tree's branches, and if she moved too much in the wrong direction, it was inevitable that she would go crashing to the ground below.

"You know," I said, casually examining my fingernails. "I don't think it's very proper for a young Fire Nation Princess to go tree climbing, now is it?"

"You know, Azula, I think you're right," she said, starting to sweat, "but I really could use a hand …"

I was about to say something back to her, as I watched her struggle to position herself, when a dark figure came out of nowhere. Standing beneath Ty Lee in the tree, a hoarse voice cried out, "Come on, Ty Lee. Just fall; I'll catch you."

Adjusting my vision to the bright sunlight, I glanced down only to see Mai standing underneath the tree, a bored expression on her face. "If you're wondering, Azula," the girl said plainly, "the only reason I'm here is because there was nothing to do at my house."

I was not given the chance to reply, because Ty Lee, trusting that Mai would catch her, had released her hold on the tree and let gravity do the rest. I watched with delight when I saw that Ty Lee's weight had been a little bit more than Mai had expected, and they both hit the ground hard when the acrobatic girl made contact with Mai.

A venomous laugh escaped my lips, only to be put out by a fierce expression from Mai, shot at me just as swiftly as a knife could be thrown. "You think it's funny, Azula?" she said, standing up as she brushed herself off. "Well, you can sit back and laugh all you want at other people's pain. But you yourself would never be able to stand the kind of pain that someone like _Zuko_ had to go through."

"Zuko?" I said harshly, as my mood did a nose dive. My expression darkened as I listened to Mai continue.

"Yes, _Zuko_." She said. "Not only did he have to get banished, but he went through the physical pain of being burned by your father!"

I growled fiercely, blue fire almost involuntarily emitting from my fingertips. So engrossed was I in my rage, that I did not even notice that I had brought forth fire without having to actually _turn _it blue first. Glancing down at my friends, I noticed that their expressions had wavered slightly, and Mai looked like she wanted to take back what she had just said.

"You don't think I can withstand pain?" I barked, climbing up onto my windowsill, looking down at the ground below. For the first time I realized how far away the grass really was from my window, but my expression stood solid. "_Just watch_."


	4. Chapter 4

**I could just about explode from all the positive feedback I'm getting on this story. Thank you SO much for reviewing, and I hope everyone that is reading this will continue to do so and enjoy the story, as well. I have to admit that it's fun to write about such a cruel character like Azula. Her cold personality almost demands that I write her in the way that I have been; using (or at least, _attempting _to use) varied sentence structure and "spicier" language than I'm used to. After deciding to write her that way, I realized that I got a lot of compliments on my writing style as well, I'd like to say thanks for that, too. But realize that I'm really not that sophisticated sounding all the time! It just fits her character so well, doesn't it?**

* * *

Mai and Ty Lee stared up at my slim figure as I mentally prepared myself to jump to the grounds below, frightened and horrified expressions carved onto their faces. Running my fingers along the smooth wood of the wall, I told myself I would have to jump before my common sense caught up with me. 

"Azula!" Ty Lee's voice sounded shrill and shaky. It broke my concentration and I threw a dirty look in her direction. "What are you doing? Don't jump! We believe you!"

No answer escaped my lips as I stared the two of them down, for in my own mind there was still the necessity of proving them wrong, and proving myself equal, if not superior, to my older brother.

"Don't be stupid, Azula," Mai retorted, as if she was attempting to sound indifferent about the whole situation. However I could read her expression, and she was just as frightened about my jump as Ty Lee appeared to be.

"Yeah! The only reason Mai stood up for Zuko like that was because she likes him!" Ty Lee said. Mai's face plunged into a deep scarlet, proving Ty Lee's observation to be true. I rested my weight in a sitting position on the window, my daring jump forgotten for the time being. Of course it was obvious that Mai liked Zuko. But the thought of love had barely ever crossed my mind previously; unless one could count my long since dead desire for appreciation and acceptance really a cry for _love_. But the type of love that intrigued me so was this type that Mai had found within Zuko; the type where two beings were so attracted to one another that they claimed they would die should they ever be separated.

I crossed my legs as they dangled out the window, and set my expression into that of concentration. Surely Mai and Ty Lee, as they observed my actions from the ground, assumed I was debating whether I should jump and prove my capability to withstand pain, or whether I should choose to remain in my room. The option had long since flew out of my mind, however, for that was not what I was pondering.

The emotion of love had, for as long as I could remember, both confused and intrigued me. I never saw my mother and my father exchange affectionate glances, or sweet kisses. My uncle's wife had died long before I could remember anything about her, as had my grandfather's wife, Ilah. But the stories my mother would read to me as a child were peppered with this love; the love where a young, valiant man would risk all that he had and more to save a beautiful woman that was in need of his assistance. I wrinkled my brow in frustration as I tried to comprehend why a person should put their life in jeopardy merely to win over the love of another. For all my life, I had been taught that you are of no good if you cannot protect even yourself. Power and position were held over all else as the most sought after ambitions. There was no room for love in the formula.

Glancing down at Mai, I wondered what it must feel like to raise a single person above all other humans on the planet. To raise that person high in affection, to dream only of that one being, and to commit otherwise dangerous and reckless acts on account of the feelings harbored for that single human. The emotion sounded weak to me. It sounded like one of those emotions that my father, with an iron fist and a booming voice, would declare to me was pathetic and unneeded in a perfect ruler. Others would say that love was what kept the world together in times of trial, that love was the one thing needed to keep the peace throughout the world. But I knew better. I knew what it really was; a weak emotion that caused the bearer to forget all that was important in life. While others fed and lived off of this love, I would shun it, avoid it, and gain for myself a power that would render me unstoppable in every way imaginable.

Picking myself up from the window sill, I dropped back into the sanctuary of my room and gazed out on the tiny figures of Mai and Ty Lee. Putting on a stern expression, I started speaking loudly to the two of them.

"I'm glad you decided that my show of power was enough to convince you that I am capable of withstanding pain. My brother Zuko probably cried his eyes out the night after the Agni Kai. He knows nothing of pain. He may be scarred on the outside, but on the inside he is as soft and untouched as ever. I am the one that has been hardened with the flames of time!" I found myself half-tempted to climb back onto the windowsill again, for, it made me appear to be taller and more intimidating. I restrained though, as I finished my glorious speech. "Since I am going to be Fire Lady one day, I must harbor the knowledge to make intelligent decisions. Jumping out of a window does not suit this practice."

A silence followed for a minute or two, and Ty Lee finally became the one to break it. "I'm not sure what you just said, Azula, but I'm glad you decided not to jump out of that window! You probably would have broken a few bones."

I rolled my eyes at her ignorance. She was nothing, really; skilled only in the ways of the acrobat. I doubted she would ever become someone important when she grew older. And Mai, she was somewhat skilled in the art of throwing knives, though at the tender age of ten she really only took lessons and never used her ability on any actual enemies. I was not intimidated by either of them or the unique skills they possessed, and thought of them as my loyal followers. If they were not loyal, though, they would be soon enough; time wore down much, and I was positive their egos and integrity would soon bow to me.

Emotionally gathering myself together, and silently congratulating myself for making the intelligent decision of not jumping out of the window, for, it brought me one step closer to achieving the perfection needed in an absolute ruler, I took a deep breath in and slowly let it back out. Closing my eyes as I leaned my weight against my bedroom wall, a streak of boredom overtook my being. I mentally drew a map of the palace grounds, going over every detail I remembered, from the turtle-duck pond all the way down to the crooked bush just outside the gates. Opening my eyes back up, I sighed dully; there was nothing to do on this day that was barely even half-way over yet.

An idea crossed my mind, and I turned quickly to glance out the window yet again, my eyes coming to rest on the just departing figures of Mai and Ty Lee. I called out to them, saying to wait for me right where they stood; I would be down in a minute or two. Ty Lee's expression brightened considerably, and Mai just took to leaning against the tree with her arms folded across her chest.

Deciding that I would make them wait then perhaps a little bit longer than the minute or two I had promised, I slowly started my way out of my room, sauntering along as if I owned the world -- or at least, as if time was an infinite resource of which I possessed an unlimited amount. My steps echoed as I walked down the empty hallway, their resounding patter ricocheting off the grand walls and reverberating in my ears. My footsteps had a regal air about them, a sound that made them appear to be worthy of walking among great king and queens of the past and joined by the company of those that held high positions in society. The sound they produced that echoed off the walls seemed alive, as if it possessed a personality of its own, and could whisper secrets about my thoughts and my beliefs, revealing my character to anyone who opened their ears to its stories. They also sounded as if they were laughing, or perhaps cackling, lending it to themselves that they knew a secret -- a secret that would only be revealed as time itself allowed it.

Passing by my brother's room, or rather, his former room, I heard the echo of my footsteps stop as I halted to peer inside. Looking inside, I observed that everything seemed the same; nothing appeared to be moved out of place or missing from anywhere; whether it be something that hung on the wall or was delicately placed on my brother's nightstand.

Walking inside, I took a cautious look about me, for the room held a foreboding air, almost as if the atmosphere was holding its breath, waiting for its master to return. Running my hand reluctantly along the sheets and blankets that layered the bed, a memory crossed my mind; a memory that seemed so long ago that it lived only in the past. A memory of thunder and lightning, of brother and sister huddled together in a bed, waiting for the storm to pass.

Shaking the nostalgia out of my head, I turned and walked over to Zuko's nightstand, thinking perhaps he had inadvertently left something of value behind that I could now claim as my own in his absence. As I eagerly inspected the nightstand and opened its small drawer, I realized that perhaps this room was not left so untouched as I originally observed it to be. The one treasure that I had been looking for, the one item I deemed worthy enough for me to take, was not resting in its usual spot in the nightstand drawer. Scowling, I accepted the fact that the shiny dagger my brother received from our uncle during his siege of Ba Sing Se was most likely never going to within my clutches, like I had hoped. I slammed the tiny drawer back into the stand, and stomped out of the room as I clutched my fists in a spoiled manner.

I continued my journey to the end of the hallway. As I approached the stairs, I stopped on the first step, and ran my hand back and forth along the smooth, wooden banister. So worn down with time was this wood, that it had all the splinters and sharp edges smoothed out of it; so many hands had rubbed against its polished surface without a second thought, that it was flattened and almost softened with their touch. I was sure that everyone who used this banister did so without really delving into its history; I was the one exception to that rule. Every time I walked down that grand staircase with my right hand running smoothly down the wooden banister, I thought of all the Fire Lords and their royal families who had slid their hands along this same railing, assisting in the wearing down of the piece of wood. Their fingerprints had been left on it, and then smoothed over by other hands that ran down it, and I could only smile precociously as I ran my palm along its edges, realizing that I was adding my mark to the long line of Fire Lords -- and perhaps one day, Ladies -- that would live in this grand palace.

The building in which I lived was so peppered with stories, so livened with tales and legends, history and events, that it both fascinated and excited me to become a part of it when I grew older. For one day, I would take the throne; after all, my chances were sealed when Zuko was banished. All I had to do was wait until my father passed away, or was killed, and then I could start my reign as Fire Lady Azula. Everything would turn out perfectly, for I was perfect, and I lived in a perfect palace -- my life was perfect as it was and would only turn out just so.

Not much later, I found myself walking toward Mai, who was still leaning against the tree with a perpetual look of boredom spread across her face, and Ty Lee, who, in her waiting for me to arrive, had resorted to entertaining herself by walking on her hands in never-ending circles. When the former saw me approaching, she hoisted herself off the tree and walked by Ty Lee, grabbing her by the ankle and forcing her to walk toward me. They both stopped a few feet in front of me and Ty Lee positioned herself normally, rather than on her hands.

"So, Azula," said the cheerful girl after she fixed her clothes that had been tossed about every which way from standing upside-down. "What do you want to do?"

"I was thinking we could play pretend," I said, crossing my arms in thought. "I could pretend to be the Fire Lady, and you two could pretend to be my loyal servants. Or, I'd even be willing to let you be my soldiers that I could command."

Ty Lee's face dropped ever so slightly, and she spoke out in a disappointed voice, "But Azula, we played that game just yesterday. And I still have a bruise from when you hit me and I fell down," the flexible girl pulled up her pant leg to reveal a good sized bruise on her shin. "It wouldn't have hurt so bad if that rock hadn't been there…"

I looked at Mai, who had said nothing this whole time. "What do you think, Mai?" I said, smiling inwardly. The only reason I asked her opinion was because I already knew what she was going to say.

She shrugged, just as I had predicted, and said, "Whatever. It doesn't really matter to me."

"There, you see?" I said, turning back to Ty Lee. "Mai doesn't care what we play. You're the only one that seems to have a problem with my decision." I smiled, evilly delighted when I saw Ty Lee merely shrug and agree with me; after all, she had virtually no say in what we were going to do. It was only a matter of time before she realized this fully, and would stop trying to argue my point.

We made our way over to the garden to start our game. I sat down on the edge of the fountain, pretending it was my throne, and the game of pretend began. I always took these games of pretend very seriously, considering it practice or preparation for when I truly would become the ruler of the Fire Nation. It thrilled me to have the feeling of power resting in my hands, and the knowledge that I could do with that power whatever I pleased, whenever I pleased.

My thoughts involuntarily seemed to wander back to that sick, weak emotion that the world called love. That emotion that made out to be a safe harbor for those who were weary of the world or needed some hope or aspiration to cling to. As I thought deeper and deeper about this perplexing feeling, I came to the conclusion that love and hate were not all really that different. Both were intense emotions that resulted in the finding and seeking out of one particular person or thing. Both consumed the possessor and ate away at their very being. But there was one very big difference that I had been able to find, and use to discern the two from one another. Hate was a strong emotion that fed the fires of rage. Love was a weak emotion that ate away at the pillars of ambition.

And yet, even in my robotic mind that told me that love was an extraneous, unnecessary emotion for survival in this world, a part of me clung to it. Curiosity was still very much alive in my veins, and I longed to know what it felt like to truly be in love, to hold someone and realize that they were all you needed and wanted in the world. I immediately brushed the feeling away, though, and told myself that power and perfection sprung not from love, but from ambition. I tried to become comfortable with this feeling, but no matter what I did, I could not deny the small, empty feeling that was left inside of me when I decided to shun all types of love for good.


	5. Chapter 5

**Remember what I said in my last author's note? **

**-explodes-**

**I am so incredibly overjoyed at all the reviews I'm getting on this. Thank you for the praise, the compliments, the constructive criticism, the suggestions, everything! I have a few more things to say, and if you don't care to read them, then go ahead and start reading the chapter. BUT, I suggest if you don't want to be confused about the chapter, then you continue to read the A/N.**

**First of all, there were no specifications made in the series regarding the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, if I recall, so I took some creative liberty and made it similar to a boarding school. Also, I'm not sure how long Azula spent there, but... actually you'll find that out in later chapter, so never mind. **

**I know I have some apologizing to do, but I'm going to do it at the end of the chapter so you all can start reading now.**

* * *

Twelve. I always perceived this age and number as both awkward and overlooked. Ten was special; ten was the first time a being could say that they had graced the earth with their life for a decade. Some looked at it with pride, claiming that now in their age, they could see two digits, one to comfort and befriend the other, instead of one lonesome digit. Eleven was interesting as well. Twins, I'd always thought; two one's that alone look small and lonely, but together look happy and complete. Even thirteen was better than _twelve_ was. At thirteen children could call themselves teenagers, as if some great and wonderful metamorphosis had taken place in the course of one night, and they were suddenly catapulted from being an immature, irresponsible brat to being a sophisticated and intelligent adult. That was not the way I saw birthdays or aging. I'd always been perfect. I didn't need a number to tell me I was.

But twelve was awkward and gauche. At twelve, changes start taking place both in and on a being; I was no exception. With the coming of this age also came feet that seemed too large for my legs and arms that reached out farther than I remembered them to. In practicing my firebending, I would often knock into myself, whether it was a foot hitting my leg, or an arm scraping my back as I tried to perform a routine, and my skills suffered. The reason behind these trivial faults was because I was not used to these sudden proportions that seemed to spring out of nowhere. My mind told me one thing, but my body was indeed something completely different. Failure was not something I was used to. It was the kind of thing that enraged me, the kind of thing I thought only happened to people like Zuko.

Of course I remembered when he was twelve. How I laughed at him, whether out loud or quietly to myself, whenever he took a wrong step in a routine, or awkwardly hit himself. How it amused me so, when he would notice my laughter, and point a finger at me, saying, "Azula, stop laugh-" he would then immediately clamp his two hands over his mouth and glare at me even more, as I doubled over in laughter, tears streaming down my face as he tried speaking again, hoping this time his voice wouldn't make that embarrassing and sudden change in tone.

But now unique changes of their own were taking place in me, and it often threw me off while I was practicing or sparring with some soldiers. They knew better, though, than to snicker behind their helmets when I took a wrong step and tripped over my own feet. But embarrassment is an emotion that even I couldn't discard, and as my face blazed red I would emit large flames from my hands, and breathe heavily as I screamed, "Augh! Why can't I do this right?" I would then proceed to launch fireballs at the soldiers I had been sparring with, watching them with slight satisfaction as they quickly dodged and rolled to avoid being burnt. I didn't care if they got hurt. I was _trying _to hurt them, after all. It must have been their faults, of course, for my misfortune. It couldn't have been my fault.

The awkwardness did not last long. Though for most children my age, it continued the entire year, I was determined to never misstep again, and after hours of vigorous practice, focusing my attention on how my body moved and what space it would occupy next, I perfected my routines all over again with these 'new proportions', and overcame the rut I had so inconveniently fallen into for a short time. _No one makes a fool out of me,_ I thought to myself as I strutted back to my room after performing a flawless routine. _Not even the laws of nature. _

However, my short time in which I was prone to accidents did not go unnoticed by my father. He had eyes and ears all over the palace, and other places besides. Nobody ever did something of importance, or something of insignificance for that matter, without his knowledge. It was with a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach that I approached him one day, though I cannot say that emotion was fear. Fear had been purged from me at an early age, and sometimes a sick feeling would make up for the lack of sentiments I had. But these spells never lasted long.

"Azula," he said in his authoritative voice. I stayed bowed, perspiration forming on my brow from the flames that were constantly ablaze in front of his throne. "How have your routines been going?"

Though it was a question he asked, and an answer he wanted, I knew he already was aware of what had been going on. That was his way; he would play with his prey first, make it speak oftentimes, only to capture them in their own actions or words later on. They often became the reason for their own condemnation. That was how it happened with Zuko, after all. I knew the truth was all that would save me in this situation, my lies would only harm my chances. Father, after all, knew a lie when he heard one. He had become so accustomed to their nature and ways, that I could suppose the only other person better at lying than me was him.

"Recently, Father," I started, my head still fixed in a downward position. "I will admit I have been having some trouble, but --"

"Trouble, Azula?" He said, his voice poisonously sweet. "The royal children of the Fire Lord do not have _trouble_. Perfection does not rise out of _trouble_." His voice took on a more demanding and firm tone, though I stood my ground.

"I beg your forgiveness," I said, kneeling on the floor. "It has been fixed, though, my Lord. I worked around these difficulties --"

"Difficulties are not to be merely _worked around_, Azula. Difficulties must be triumphed over, crushed to the ground, and completely taken care of. If you do not rid yourself of these _difficulties_," he said, a strange tone taking his voice as he emphasized the word, "they will come back to haunt you in the future. Now, tell me again…" he said, folding his hands to rest his chin upon them. "How have your routines been going?"

"All difficulties that once plagued me have been overwhelmed and defeated," I explained quickly. "They are no longer alive to pester me and throw me off. The problems have been eliminated permanently."

"Good," he said, drawing out the word with a satisfactory manner. "However, to ensure that these difficulties do not rise from the dead, you are being sent to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. You had better pack quickly," he said, almost sounding as if he was evilly amused by the news. "You are leaving tomorrow."

"Yes, Father," I said, never raising my head from looking at the floor. My expression remained unflinching, my voice stayed calm and steady; practically emotionless. A few seconds later he dismissed me from his presence, and I stood up from my previous kneeling position, backing out of the room with my head bowed, as it was considered rude to turn one's back on the Fire Lord, even when exiting a room.

I was not surprised nor conflicted by my father's decision. He had spoken before of sending me to the Academy, and before it didn't bother me, either. I listened as my footsteps echoed against the empty corridors, a completely expressionless look spread across my face. My thoughts seemed washed out of me at the moment. I certainly wasn't expecting to be told such news at the moment, and yet at the same time it wasn't so shocking that my head was spinning with confusion.

_You are being sent to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls._ The phrase echoed in my mind, failing to create a permanent impression or scar that would leave me wondering about it for years to come. It seemed to only bounce off the sides of my head, flooding my thoughts and taking up any other room that might be occupied by other, more meaningful thoughts. The words did not affect me, their tone or meaning did not cause me to run into my room, crying with despair. Rather, I walked rather stiffly to my dresser once I reached my room, and began pulling out garments that I would take with me, though I had no place to put them at the moment.

I was not sad, nor was I angered, nor shocked, nor surprised. Life at the Academy would be normal for me, just like any other day; filled with firebending lessons, educational studies, and interactions with girls my own age. It crossed my mind that I would be going to the Academy with Ty Lee and Mai, for, their parents were definitely contemplating the option of sending them, and I knew that if I was going, they would follow the Fire Lord's example and send their own daughters there as well.

I arranged the belongings I would bring with me on my bed, realizing that I did not have a pack or bag in which to place them. Hearing the footsteps of some unfortunate soul outside in the hallway, just passing my door, I ran out to meet him.

"You!" I said, pointing my lanky finger at him. He stopped immediately and turned to face me with a slight bow.

"Fetch me two bags that I might pack. I'm leaving for the Royal Fire Academy for Girls tomorrow."

He bowed again. "Yes, Princess Azula," Turning around, he made as if to leave, but I gave him one last order.

"And make it snappy."

"…Yes, Princess."

I watched as he scurried down the hall. No doubt he was silently rejoicing about my sudden departure. I knew all the guards in the palace feared me; some even hated me with a passion. I'm sure he would soon spread the news to all his fellow guards and servants, telling them to be glad, because the annoying little brat that had been ordering them around for as long as she could talk was leaving the palace. My father would be all alone in the large building, now; that is, besides the servants, guards, and various soldiers that patrolled the grounds. That would be the first time in many years.

The first to leave of the Royal Family was Lu Ten. He did not leave of his own choosing, however; he was a soldier in the war and died during a battle. I was never particularly close to the man, nor did I know him very well considering the gap in our ages. But I always secretly thought of him best out of all my relatives, besides my father of course. My cousin died in battle after all, as a brave soldier for the Fire Nation army. In my small mind, that was the most courageous way to die, and I myself wouldn't have it any other way.

Next was my mother. Her departure to this day has left me baffled and confused. She did not come to me in the middle of the night, shaking my shoulders and waking me up to tell me some important proverb or give me advice I would remember for the rest of my life. No, she did none of that to me; although Zuko would later confide in me later that the very experience had happened to him. I merely scowled at him after he told this to me with wide eyes, and I believe the only reason he told me was because he did not know where Mother went, either. He happened across me the next day, and asked me where she was. I scoffed, saying that nobody knew of her whereabouts. After running off like the pathetic child that he was, he came back to me, asking if I had spoken to her in the middle of the night. I said no, I hadn't, and he related the story to me. Jealously arose in my chest, I could feel it bubbling up from the pit that was my heart and spreading throughout my being. But I did not tell him that. I laughed forcibly, saying that if Mother really did run away, than she was even weaker than he.

That was the last I ever spoke to somebody about my mother. Her absence did not mar life at the palace, rather, everything went on as if she never existed in the first place. Sometimes I would doubt my own sanity, and think to myself that perhaps she was really a figment of my imagination, and she never really lived. Then I would walk by her former room and stare in at the belongings that she had left because of the terrible hurry she was in, and I would realize, yes, she was real. And though she was gone, her property still lay in her room, untouched by another soul since she last lay hands on it; Agni knows when that was.

The third and fourth members of my family to leave the palace were my Uncle Iroh and brother, Zuko. That tale has often been told, and I saw no need to repeat it to myself in my mind, nor turn over the possibilities of their departure within my memory.

As I was thinking these thoughts in my head, realizing that I was the fifth person to leave, and probably the only person that ever had a chance of coming back, the guard I had sent to fetch the bags for me returned. He held two large packs in his hand, bowing as he handed them both to me at once.

"Here you are, Princess," he said humbly as I snatched them from his hands and began inspecting them.

"Acceptable, I suppose," I said, pretending to scrutinize the items I held. "Next time don't take so long." I stared at the man as he panted, knowing that he had done it as fast as he possibly could. An evil smile spread across my face as I saw the look on his face that clearly meant he did not have the capacity to run any faster. I knew this. But I pretended I didn't. It amused me to watch him suffer, the weak-minded fool. Playing with others' minds was entirely too easy, and entirely too fun.

I sauntered back into my room, opening the bags and placing them on my bed. Slowly and deliberately, I started placing my clothes and various other belongings into the packs, making sure that everything was placed perfectly. Normally I would have ordered a servant or two to do the packing for me. But I was going to be staying at the Academy for an unknown amount of time -- I was unsure how long my father intended for me to stay there -- and I wanted the job done perfectly the first time. There was no trusting a servant to do a job perfectly. Only I was capable of that.

Placing the bags delicately on the floor by my bedroom door, I went back to my bed and sat down, feeling the mattress slowly sink beneath me as it grew accustomed to my weight. Crossing my legs and closing my eyes, I began my breathing exercises and started meditating.

"Princess," the voice of the guard broke the silence and considerably raised my anger.

"What?" I snapped, turning around immediately. He simply began to cower as I stared at him with a glare that would have him burnt to a crisp, had my eyes been able to shoot fire out of them, as my hands and feet could.

"I - um, your father…"

I smiled wickedly. "Twelve." I said. "Are you frightened of a twelve-year-old?" I gave a quick, short laugh. "How I quiver to even suggest that thought. How old are you, guard?"

"Thirty-two, Princess," he responded, fear still lingering in his voice.

"Twenty years difference?" I said, pretending to be surprised. "Tell me, guard, which is the larger number? Twelve or thirty-two?"

"Thirty-two, Princess," he answered my question with the same words he used to answer my previous one.

"Hm," I said satisfactorily. "I'm glad you're an intelligent one. Now, get out!" I said venomously, and he immediately left. I chuckled as I saw him leave, knowing that he would be back. After all, he had mentioned my father, and his orders were obviously to deliver some sort of message to me. It was entertaining, however, to realize what tight a grasp I held on these people. They obeyed my every order and catered to my every whim at the drop of a hat. Soon the man would be back, realizing that I was the lesser of two evils, and he would rather listen to my screaming then face my father's rage. But it was fun to play with and twist his mind.

A toothy smile crossed my face, as I realized what wonderfully gullible pawns I would hold in my grasp at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls.

* * *

**Apologizing time: I'm sorry for waiting for quite a while before updating. I explained some of this in my profile (I'm not sure how many of you actually were able to read it) but by the time I got inspired to actually write this chapter, exams at my school had started and there was simply no time to work on studying for those, doing an art project, AND writing this fic. So I prioritized and put this at the end of my list. However exams are over (the last one was today) so hopefully the next update won't take as long as this one did. **

**TrueThinker, I know I can't send you a review reply like I can with the reviewers that are actually members of this site, so I'm sticking it in here. I'm sorry you started getting angry and impatient with my lack of update... but as I just explained, there was simply no time this past week, and of the course I was busy during the holidays, too. And if I try to write when I don't feel inspired to, then the chapter turns out crappy and I'm sure you would rather have a quality chapter over a hurried one, right? But you still deserve a cookie for reviewing three times on chapter four!**

**Thanks again to anyone who reviewed, whether logged in or anonymously. **


	6. Chapter 6

**This is by far the longest chapter in this story so far. It's about 800 words over the minimum that I usually shoot for when writing a chapter for Inferno. I hope you enjoy those extra words! XD**

**Of course, the Fire Academy and the classes offered there are of my own design, since the series never goes into a great amount of detail regarding the school. **

**Once again, any A/N regarding replies to anonymous reviews will be posted at the bottom of the chapter. Thanks so much for your support, reviews, fanart (you know who you are! XD Much love for fanart XD), suggestions, and everything else. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

A room to call my own, studies and firebending lessons, interactions with girls my own age -- perhaps some a year or two younger or older -- either way, I was right in my assumptions regarding the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. It was no different than the palace, really. At both places I was treated like the royalty that I was, and at both places no one questioned my authority or opinion, as much as one might disagree with what I said. But I was the princess, and to challenge the princess was to play with fire -- in more ways than one. 

My arrival at the Academy was treated as if one might treat the coming of snow on a cold winter night; expected and anticipated, causing an excitement to rise within one's chest. Of course I had never seen snow, living in the warm and humid area that the Fire Nation claimed as theirs, but I knew it was a substance that completely covered the North and South Poles. Frozen water is what it was, though it was different from ice. Either way it was not a form of precipitation that I took a liking to. I preferred my days hot and blistery, my nights warm and humid.

The building itself was only half what I expected it to be. Perhaps deemed impressive by anyone else, it was not so to me as I had grown up accustomed to the lavish lifestyle of the palace. It would do for schooling purposes, however.

The headmistress at the Academy was out to greet me when I arrived. Girls of various ages crowded around her, anxiously peeking out from behind, eager to get a glimpse of the Princess; and rightfully so. They would learn my appearance and come to respect me. They would learn to associate my name with fear and power. Princess Azula; _blue fire._

Stepping out of my covered platform, the soldiers carefully placed it on the ground and positioned themselves. When both my feet were planted firmly on the ground, they bowed as two others came forth to carry my bags. I walked straight up to the headmistress.

She bowed humbly. "Welcome to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, Princess. I am Headmistress Lixue. We are honored to have you." I smiled satisfactorily when I saw the other girls around her bow as well. My eyes rested upon Mai and Ty Lee, also in mid-bow, but with knowing smiles on their faces.

"Rightfully so," I said, answering her greeting. My eyes shifted from my two childhood friends to the headmistress. "I believe it was said that I would have some accommodations prepared for me upon my arrival," I said, examining my fingernails.

"Yes, Princess," the headmistress said. "You will have a private room in our finest hall. Come. I'll show you the way."

I held up a hand and motioned for the guards holding my bags to follow us. With the headmistress leading the way, I followed closely behind, the guards and trail of girls processing behind all of us. Observing the finely crafted walls and smooth stone floors of the Academy, I smiled slightly, glad that this building was so aesthetically pleasing. This place would soon be mine. It may be owned by one of the most prestigious Fire Nation families, but it would be me that would truly run it. Royalty before nobility, after all.

My eyes took in the wondrous staircases, nobly twisting up to meet the same destination; a grand hallway that continued beyond what the eye could see. Upstairs was where the girls lived, no doubt, and the level we were currently on was most likely where the studying took place. I glanced out a nearby window, taking note of a sparring arena and another large court. I nodded approvingly. That was merely one of the advantages of being born into the upper echelon of the Fire Nation; girls were trained for fighting, unlike some of the other nations in the world that thought women's first and foremost purposes were purely domesticate.

The headmistress led me up the large staircase, and I smiled slightly as my hand slid along the banister. She quickly turned around to admonish the girls that trailed behind us.

"Ladies!" she said in a hoarse tone. "Back to your classes! The presence of your esteemed classmate does not mean you may skip on your studies."

I watched as the girls scrambled about, tripping over their friends' feet as they attempted to get back to their classes. Several wooden doors were opened and half of them slammed shut; the other half closed gently. Amidst the clamor, I turned to the headmistress and said, "If you do not mind," for, I had to make the impression that I was an innocent and obedient girl, "I would like to ask for the presence of two of my friends that attend here."

"Of course Princess," Lixue said, nodding. "What are their names?"

"Mai and Ty Lee," I said loudly, knowing they would adhere to my authority over the headmistress'. The two stopped in their tracks, previously headed to their respective classrooms, and turned around to come back to my side on the stairs.

"So good to see you again, ladies," I said with the authority-filled tone my father often used. I leaned in to hug first Mai, then a perky Ty Lee.

"It's so good to see you, too, Azula!" Ty Lee said. "It's going to be so fun to have you in our classes!"

"And so much more interesting," Mai added, folding her hands into her large sleeves.

"It's been too long," I said, trying to remember the last time I saw them. Not extremely long, if I recalled correctly; probably close to a month or two. Each of them had enrolled in the Academy around that time. "I imagine we'll have an experience to remember here at the Academy."

"I'm sure you will, Princess," Lixue added to our conversation. "The Academy is ranked among the finest schools for girls in the Fire Nation."

"I should hope so," I responded. "My father would not send me here if that was not the case."

"Of course… Fire Lord Ozai," the headmistress said, half to herself. A worried look crossed her face. "He made an excellent decision in sending you here."

"That's good to know," I said somewhat sarcastically.

Headmistress Lixue swallowed nervously. "Yes, of course. If you'll please follow me," she said, turning back around to continue climbing the stairs. "I'll show you to your room."

I shrugged and made a mocking face once Lixue turned around. Ty Lee held back a giggle and Mai merely smiled. They glanced at each other, sharing a look that clearly meant they knew life was about to get interesting with my presence at the Fire Academy.

"Here is your chamber," Lixue said, turning around and motioning elegantly at a beautifully carved door. "It is reserved for our most deserving students."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," I said dully as I stood to the side of the door. "Guards, bring my belongings in." The two guards looked grateful to put the packs down, rushing into the room after the headmistress opened the door. They carefully sat the packs down on the enormous bed that graced the center of the room. It's head was pushed up against the wall, and a flowing canopy covered the top. A soft, woolen carpet was thrown across the center of the room, leaving a border of the wooden floor showing around the edges. A fireplace, complete with crackling fire, warmed the room on the right side, and pieces of various furniture were arranged to complete the ambiance.

"It's acceptable," I said as I judged the room. "Thank you, you're dismissed," I said with a wave of my hand. The guards, accustomed to such orders, obeyed immediately. Lixue stood for a second or two with a perplexing expression on her face. Sighing, she finally took her leave of the room, no doubt questioning her acceptance of the Princess into the Fire Academy.

The room was silent for a second or two after the adults left. Mai stood frozen to her spot, her hands still folded within her sleeves. Ty Lee took to glancing around at the room, obviously having never been in it before. She was apparently impressed with the beautiful decorations and exquisite furbishing. I turned to face them, silently observing them for a second before addressing them.

"Girls," I said, holding out my arms. "I'm here. Do you realize what this means?"

They looked at me questioningly. I continued with an evil grin. "The headmistress does not have the gall to stand up to me. She would rather die than disobey my orders. I am, after all, the Princess." They took a few steps closer as I turned and opened up one of my bulging sacks.

"This means that all the girls, the teachers even, this entire building…" I made a sweeping motion with my arms, referring to the large room and the Academy it was in. "…is mine for the commanding. And you two are my friends," I said, though in my mind I called them cohorts; servants even. "Just like old times, ladies, those halcyon days of pretend, hm? Except this time, it's real life. And this time, we'll have real people to carry out our real orders."

Ty Lee skipped over and immediately started helping me unpack. "But Azula, we're here to learn. We have to submit to our elders here at this place."

"I see they've already gotten to Ty Lee," I said, disappointed as I turned to Mai. "Tell me they haven't gotten through to your mind as well, Mai."

She shrugged. "You know I've never had a thing for authority."

A pleased smile spread across my lips. "Good," was what simply came out of my mouth, and I turned to face Ty Lee, ready to whisper into her ear whatever she needed to hear in order to set her straight.

"I know, we are here to learn," I said soothingly. "But I just want us to have the best time we can while we're here. Besides, it's the law that the citizens obey the Royal Family. If they don't," I said, mocking regret, "I'd have to have them executed for disobeying the law. You … wouldn't want me to do that, would you?" I asked, pouting a little.

She hesitated. "I… I guess you're right, Azula," her face brightened. "But then again, you're always right!"

"That's what I wanted to hear," I said quietly, laying a firm hand on her shoulder. She stared back at me with a vacant expression. Turning to Mai, I continued speaking. "Come now, girls, help me unpack. We have a lot of preparing to do if this is going to end up like one of our more successful games of pretend."

"What did you have in mind, Azula?" Mai asked casually as she took a garment of mine out of the bag and walked over to place it in the beautiful dresser.

"I'm sure I'll think of something," I said lightly as I sat on the bed, intending to let them do all the unpacking. "I always do."

I watched as my friends unpacked for me, placing my clothes in the large dresser, and other necessary items in their proper places. Occasionally I would call out to them and tell them to place a certain item on a different table, or put that item of clothing in a different drawer, and they readily consented. I leaned back into the soft pillow, feeling the cool, smooth texture of the sheets against my skin, basking in the authority that I held over this place. The midday sun shone brightly on my skin through the large window. Glancing in the direction from whence it came, I noted the thick drapes that were pulled back to let the sunlight in.

Closing my eyes for a second, I envisioned what life here at the Academy would be like for me. Hundreds of girls, several teachers, some firebending instructors as well, were all waiting for me to tell them what to do. It was a comforting thought, really, to know that even if things didn't go as planned at first, I already had two loyal subjects that would enforce my rule and follow my every command. Mai was especially loyal, and though I questioned her motives (thinking her obedience to be born out of boredom rather than loyalty), I came to the realization that loyalty was loyalty, whatever the underlying reasons might be.

Ty Lee on the other hand occasionally questioned my authority, though I always won out in the end. I began to realize that she had a heart, and she had a conscience and a mind of her own as well, but she chose to obey me out of fear, for she did not want to become a victim of consequence. No matter; the wrinkles in her loyalty and obedience could be smoothed out with time and proper handling. Just like all the other girls here at the Academy. If they showed the same signs as Ty Lee; that is, a mind molded to obey authority, then I would have no trouble keeping them underneath my thumb. I was superior to them, after all, and I would be quick to remind them if they conveniently forgot.

I spread out my legs on the layers of blankets that covered the bed, and watched as Ty Lee and Mai took the final items out of the last pack and placed them in an area of the room they deemed necessary. Upon finishing, they approached my bedside, and carefully awaited the next orders. When I was silent for a second, Ty Lee immediately spoke up.

"Azula," she began. "I noticed that you didn't bring Zuko's knife with you. I thought you planned on taking it from his room once he was banished."

I scowled, and shot daggers at Ty Lee with my eyes. Her expression faltered, though only slightly.

"Apparently the oaf took it with him," I responded. "I searched his room after his banishment, and failed to find it. It will be mine one day, though," I said, sure of myself. "I doubt that I've seen the last of my brother forever."

At the mention of Zuko, I noticed a slight blush creep onto Mai's face. I frowned slightly. She wasn't still taken by him, was she? _Oh well_, I thought, _that can be fixed_. Relentless teasing and degrading of her feelings would work it out of her eventually. And I knew it would be so much more effective if I didn't do it on my own. Perhaps a little rumor spreading was called for. After all, in a school full of girls, rumors spread like wildfire. There was no way I was going to let her live this down.

"Well, ladies," I said, sitting up and straightening my back. "Perhaps you would like to show me around the school? Or tell me about the teachers and classes? My own classes do not start up until tomorrow."

"Oh, can we?" Ty Lee said, jumping on the bed. I reluctantly scooted back to make a little more room. Next time she was not going to get away with it, though. Mai followed Ty Lee's example and climbed onto the bed, though with more poise than Ty Lee had.

"I'm taking an acrobatics class," Ty Lee said, counting on her fingers. "As well as a pressure-point educational class, and another one that specializes in the flow of chi." She paused before continuing. "Oh, and some psychology too. Reading people is fun!"

"Interesting," I said, adding up the classes in my head and calculating how they might be successfully joined in one person to better her fighting abilities. Added up all together, I concluded that her knowledge of chi and pressure points would make Ty Lee a formidable opponent. Not to mention the psychology class would aid her in predicting what moves an enemy might make, and the acrobatics would help keep her in top physical condition. Excellent.

"What about you, Mai? What subjects are you studying?"

"Besides the basics?" she asked, referring to arithmetic, calligraphy, and other various educational classes that were required.

"Yes," I responded. "What classes that improve your physical skills?"

"Shuriken-jutsu," she said. "Which is throwing knives, daggers, spikes… any type of weapon like that. We practice with loaded holsters on dummies. That's pretty interesting. I even found a way to conceal the weapons in my sleeves, as long as I wear loose clothing."

I nodded approvingly, waiting for her to continue. Normally using as few words as possible to get her point across, I found that Mai talked with more ease when speaking of the fighting style in which she specialized.

"What else is there…?" she said to herself with a sigh. "Archery. I'm taking that as well. It improves my aim. And anatomy. It's helpful to know where all the vital veins and arteries are in the body."

"Wonderful," I said, beginning to believe that Mai was an assassin in the making.

"Oh…" she said. "And a botany class."

"A _botany _class?" I asked incredulously, not sure how that contributed to her skills.

Mai raised an eyebrow, as if to say she was surprised I hadn't realized how helpful it was. Apparently she understood that I was questioning them for the purpose of seeing how deadly they were.

"What other thirteen-year-old girl do you know that can mix together plants found in the wild to produce a deadly concoction?" she asked. I smiled evilly. So _that _was the purpose of that class. Now Mai was not only a stealthy assassin, but she knew which plants were poisonous and how to create a fatal mix.

"All wonderful classes," I said, putting one hand on Mai's shoulder, and one on Ty Lee's. "Our parents would be proud, ladies. We are becoming exactly what the Fire Nation needs during a war like this."

"But Azula," Ty Lee interjected as she shook her head. "Women don't fight in the Fire Nation Army."

"No, Ty Lee, I suppose they don't," I responded. "But what would be the point of learning these skills if we are to never use them?"

Ty Lee merely shrugged, not sure what to say.

"Exactly," I said, pulling them in closer, as if I had a secret. "And we all know that one day I'm going to be the Fire Lady and rule over all the Fire Nation. I need to get used to ruling a nation first. Why else do you think my father sent me here? So that I could practice ordering around a bunch of inferiors!"

Both girls made an expression, as if the thought had never occurred to them before and it was just now dawning on them. I believed myself, saying that there was no way Father sent me here merely to make sure those "problems" never rose from the dead, as he claimed. Surely it had to be for the reason I just stated.

"And that's exactly what I'm going to do. Aside from practicing firebending and advancing educationally, I will have the experience under my belt of ruling a large body of people. That is something Zuko never had, nor will he ever gain."

The two of them nodded slowly, and I leaned back with satisfaction. I had found, once again, something that I had that Zuko didn't. That made the score, what… Zuko: zero. Azula…

One hundred? One thousand? One million?

_What difference does it make? _I thought as pride twisted my lips into a smile. I was better than him. I _am _better than him.

And I always will be.

* * *

**TrueThinker: Oh, so you're a rat? Haha, that's funny. I don't really live by those zodiac things. I just think they're interesting, and I like to see how much of the horse actually applies to me, you know? It's funny to see how accurate they are sometimes, though it's not like I swear by the info. As for cookies, well, what type do you want? -glances at full cookie box- I have plenty of them, all sorts of varieties. Take your pick XD And thank you so much for the special prize, lol. I will treasure it greatly. Also thanks for encouraging JET COME BACK to read the fic. It's really flattering to know that people like this fic enough to recommend it to others. **

**Name:: Thanks for your review, too. Though the long ones are fun to read, I treasure the short ones just as much :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Yes, this is the last chapter. This is how the story would have ended whether I finished the middle or not. If you're confused, then read my profile. **

**This chapter starts out a little bit after Azula convinced Zuko to join her side in the crystal catacombs of the season finale. In less words than that, it's post CoD.**

**The poem by Robert Frost, which is half at the beginning of the chapter, half at the end, is not necessary for the story, but I thought it went well with this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, not Avatar: the Last Airbender, nor "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I know this story would have made a bigger impact if I wrote it all the way through, but seeing as that's out of the question, I hope this last chapter suffices._

* * *

_ **

_Chapter Seven_

_Some say the world will end in fire,_

_Some say in ice._

_From what I've tasted of desire_

_I hold with those who favor fire..._

It was far too easy.

For someone such as myself, who loves challenges, it was not at all entertaining. Perhaps its effortlessness was for the better; for when it came to something as momentous and significant as this, there was no room for mistakes. Everything had to be executed perfectly, every detail had to be in line.

I must commend myself for saying exactly what Zuzu wanted to hear in those crystal catacombs. Of course, I knew that one could draw more flies with honey rather than vinegar, and there I stood, ready to whisper sweet poison into his ears; ready to tell him exactly what he needed to hear. And my brother, who I doubt is capable of truly changing his ways at all, was ready to fall when I expected him to. The path he chose to walk along was new for him, but I suppose the last thing he expected was for me to be hiding in the bushes, ready to trip him and watch his downfall.

That's how it happened, however. Everything had worked according to plan. Mai, Ty Lee, and myself had successfully overthrown Ba Sing Se, the stronghold that my idiot Uncle had not been able to conquer. I suppose it just proves his unworthiness to be Fire Lord to an even greater extent. Likewise, it set me up on the highest pedestal, the greatest honor was bestowed upon me as the One Who Conquered the Unconquerable.

Life was supposed to be this easy for me. It was just the way the cards were laid out with my birth. I was given all the skill, while Zuko was left with nothing… or perhaps, if anything, a conscience. Not that that would do him any good out in the world.

Perhaps, as a way for him to show his submission to me, I would order that he hand his knife over to me. Surely he still owned it -- the one that read, "Never give up without a fight," -- I doubt he would have thrown it away or lost it, especially since he held it so dear. It was with these intentions on mind that I approached my dear brother in his room within the Palace one day.

"Zuko," I said, coming into the room.

"What do you want?" He asked as he sat on the edge of his bed, his head resting in his hands.

"Still bitter towards me, I see," I said as I strode into the room. I had my wits and charm about me, as I always did. There was no use to relax my guard, even though I needed to appear so before him so as not to stir him up.

He did not answer. He did not even look in my direction. I eyed the knife that he had set on the nightstand beside his bed. _Later_, I told myself. First I must earn his trust.

"I wanted to let you know that what you did was the right thing," I said as I gingerly sat on the bed next to him. He shifted his weight a little in the direction opposite of me, though I chose to ignore it.

"Father will be pleased to know that you are still loyal to your family," I continued.

"Even without the Avatar?" he asked, sounding vulnerable. I could tell by his expression that he was regretting the actions he took. No matter. That could be changed.

"We already discussed this, Brother," I responded. My next line took on a softer tone. "You don't _need _the Avatar. Your honor has been restored by your own hand." I spoke soothingly, knowing that in order to have him believe me, I needed to appear sincere.

"But… Uncle…" he said, looking perplexed.

"Uncle is a traitor," I said, my voice hardening slightly. "If he loved you, would he have turned on you at the last minute? If he cared about you, would he have let the Avatar escape, knowing that your honor depended on it?"

Zuko hesitated.

"Uncle has chosen his path in life, Zuko, and it has led him to where he is today; rotting in the cells beneath this palace," I straightened my back as I continued to speak. "The path _you _have chosen has led you thus far; to a nice room in the palace with everything you need. Not to mention a ticket back home."

"Home," Zuko said, though I don't think he intended for me to hear it. I did, though. And it gave me the perfect opportunity to convince him all the more.

"Yes, home," I said. "Back at the Fire Nation Palace. I'm sure being in a lofty building such as this has made you miss where you really belong," I stood up and started pacing the floor as I continued my speech. "In this season, I imagine the flowers in the orchard would be blooming soon. The baby turtle-duck hatchlings would be growing up more each day, and the temperature would be perfect for sparring out in the courtyard."

I read the look on his face. I could tell he missed it so much, he so dearly wanted to go home and have his life, or what was left of it, turn back to normal. He wanted Father to accept him with loving arms and welcome him as the heir to the throne. There were a few things wrong with what he wanted, however. Though I wouldn't be the one to tell him that.

Father, as I had learned ever since I was so very young, was not at all the type to accept another being with loving arms. Especially when that being that repeatedly proved himself as a failure. Zuko was entirely and completely wrong in his thinking of this. However, I willingly sat back and let him believe it; I even spurned him on to think it was true. After all, if he was not the fool in the family, then who would be?

Secondly, I knew there was no way he would ever gain the title of Fire Lord. Not now, and not ever. In the deepest recesses of my heart, I knew that Father had every intention of proclaiming me his heir even before Zuko's banishment. Why ever else would be have spent my entire life molding me into the picture of perfection? Yes, the throne would one day be mine. Perhaps sooner than my Father realized…

"You want to go back, don't you?" I asked him gently. "I can see it in your face."

He did not answer, yet again. His face hardened, as if he was trying to thwart my attempts at reading his mind. Oh dear brother, when will you learn that it's easiest to read you when you're trying to prevent it from happening?

"Once we go home, things can go back to the way they used to be. You and I will live at the Palace as if that horrible banishment never happened."

"You and I," he repeated, looking at me for the first time since I entered the room. "Yes, Azula. I suppose we _will _go back to the Palace together."

What was this tone? I narrowed my eyes as I stared at him, trying to interpret what exactly it was he meant by those words. Surely there was a double meaning. Crossing my arms over my chest, I was ready to spit back a threat, or some sort of venomous phrase, when the door behind me opened.

I turned around as Zuko straightened his back to see around me. The person who opened the door revealed herself to be Mai, dressed in Kyoshi Warrior garb. She stood at the door with a perpetually bored expression, crossing her arms as she spoke.

"Azula, Ty Lee needs to see you immediately."

"Why?" I asked, looking her straight in the eye. Her expression did not waver.

"Something about a Dai Li agent speaking with Iroh through the cell bars…"

"What?" I said, nearly jumping out of my skin. "How could you and Ty Lee let such a thing happen, Mai? The Dai Li may be loyal to me, but they are not to be trusted!"

"Ty Lee was going down to bring Iroh his daily piece of rotting bread, and said that as she approached, she heard hushed whispers. When she got close enough, she realized that a Dai Li agent was speaking with Iroh, but he quickly moved on with his patrol when he heard Ty Lee's footsteps." Mai explained.

"Where is Ty Lee? I need to speak with her immediately."

"She's waiting in the Dining Hall," Mai responded, stepping into the room with Zuko and I.

I immediately rushed out, walking as fast as I could down to the Dining Hall. I did not hear Mai following behind, supposing she went back to her room or somewhere else in the palace.

Suddenly, I stopped in the middle of the hallway. Something odd was afoot; Ty Lee was never the one to bring Iroh his daily bread. That was usually left up to one of the Dai Li agents, or perhaps a servant in the palace. Even more strange was the fact that Ty Lee had taken Iroh his bread at such an untimely hour; he usually only received his small morsel around suppertime. When I was in Zuko's room, the sun was high in the sky; I surmised around midday.

A decidedly evil glare crossed my face, and I felt my anger rising within my blood. Had I been sparring, or fighting an enemy, I would have burst out powerful blue flames, watching as they engulfed everything in sight. But I had to keep my head level. Something was definitely wrong. And now Ty Lee was waiting for me in the Dining Hall. What else was waiting for me? Perhaps a hired assassin, ready to take me out the second I stepped foot inside the room? Or maybe Ty Lee herself was waiting to throw one of her quick jabs at me, rendering my bending powers useless.

_How pathetic_, I thought to myself. _Their attempt at a rebellion is useless._ _I am far too smart for them to execute any plans designed to bring about my downfall. They will learn. _

As always, I was one step ahead of everyone else. I smiled cruelly. They would surely learn their lesson. As of late, I had begun to question Mai and Ty Lee's loyalty toward me. But perhaps a harsh punishment to keep them in line was in need.

I continued walking toward the Dining Hall, my steps much slower and more regal this time. When I reached the double doors that opened up to the Dining Hall, I paused. At that second, a Dai Li agent rounded the corner, making his daily patrol of the palace.

"You!" I shouted, pointing a finger at him. He stopped in his tracks, bowing as he approached.

"Go inside this door, please," I said.

"Yes, Princess," he said without question, and he opened the door and walked in. I watched from behind, and upon seeing that nothing happened to him, as I thought perhaps the supposed assassin would attack the next thing that walked in the door, I sauntered in behind him, on my toes just in case.

"Azula!" Ty Lee said, bounding over toward me. I took a stance as she approached, just in case she tried to pull a fast one on me. Nothing happened.

She gave me a strange look for a second, and so I relaxed, waiting for her to proceed.

"There was a Dai Li agent talking with your Uncle in the cells today," she said quietly, taking on a more serious tone. "I just thought you should know."

I wasn't sure whether to believe her or not. At one point I had believed it to be a story, fabricated only to draw my attention to the Dining Hall so that I could be taken care of. But nothing was happening now, so perhaps they were telling the truth. And yet there were too many small details that didn't fit together that made my gut tell me something was wrong. I decided to play along until I could figure something out.

"Did you hear what they were speaking about?" I asked.

"No," Ty Lee responded. "When I got close enough to listen, they heard my footsteps and stopped. But I'm positive I heard them! Maybe you should keep an eye on them."

"Two eyes," I responded as I turned to leave the room. I suddenly stopped in my tracks. "Ty Lee," I said. "Come walk behind me. With your back facing me. And stay as close as possible."

Ty Lee put on a confused face. "Why?" she asked, though I noticed that she did it anyway.

"Because I told you to," I said, though what I was thinking was, _Because if someone tries to shoot me in the back, they'll hit you instead._

--------------------------------

Knocking out the Dai Li agent was easy enough. It surprised me that his clothes were actually not incredibly large on me; I suppose I happened across a particularly petite one. Leaving him in his undergarments on the floor in the dead of the night, I tiptoed down the hall, pulling the rim of the hat down to cover as much of my face as possible. It occurred to me that Mai had stayed in Zuko's room while I went to chat with Ty Lee earlier that day, and perhaps they all planned to escape that night, or worse, perhaps they decided to send an assassin in my room and kill me. This was my reasoning behind dressing as a Dai Li agent; I supposed it would be safest for me to not appear as myself, and a smart move to spy on my dear brother, while perhaps Mai or Ty Lee was preparing themselves to attack the diversion I left in my bed, underneath the blankets.

I shuffled through the darkness, counting the doors until I came upon the fifth one. I cautiously held out a hand and reached to open it. Slowly and apprehensively, I opened the door, taking care to make no noise as I slid it open.

One foot in. The other foot followed. I squeezed myself through the narrow opening of the door, since I had not opened it all the way. Immediately glancing at the bed, I noticed no one was there.

_So, Zuko's not here… then they are planning some kind of coup or rebellion… but where is he? _Thoughts raced through my mind as I cautiously took a few more steps in the room to examine my surroundings. Perhaps he was hiding underneath the bed, ready to jump out and attack at any given second.

A noise. _What was that? _I thought as I whipped around, immediately surveying the darkness behind me. Nothing. My heartbeat slowed from it's fast pace. Another step toward the bed. Almost there.

A creek in the floorboards. Of that I was sure. I gripped the post of the bed and began to turn around…

"Huh….!" I breathed in sharply and deeply as I felt a cold pain pierce my stomach and shoot through every part of my body. My breath stayed in my throat, and I slowly began to sink to the floor, my limbs starting to fail me. A hand reached up and tipped over my hat, and the figure to which it belonged staggered backwards a step when my face was revealed.

"Azula!" he said, sounding surprised. I looked up from my fading vision to see my brother.

_Zuko._

One hand still on the bedpost, I brought my other one to my stomach, where the source of the pain was still planted deep within me. _His dagger. _I ran my hand along the delicately carved handle as my other hand slowly slipped down the bedpost with every inch that I lowered to the floor.

His face hardened as he watched me drop.

"I'm not sorry," he finally said as he stared at me, and I at him.

Mistaken for a Dai Li agent sent to assassinate him. Is this how the life of the Princess would end?

My body began to go numb from the pain, and my vision blurred with every passing second. My life was ending; of that I was sure. It's over. The words echoed in my mind as I sank to the floorboards.

A pair of strong arms lifted me up and set me on the bed, though I was unaware of the soft sheets beneath me. They did not matter, anyway -- it was all going to be over in a minute or two. My hand reached for my stomach, thinking maybe it could stop the pain with its touch, but instead all I felt was blood. My blood. It covered my fingers and seeped through my clothes. It was everywhere.

Zuko reached over and pulled the covers up to my chin. I lay on my side, so the knife did not affect this process. His eyes quickly broke from watching me to looking at the window outside, where a storm had just begun. The lightning flashed and reflected on his face, illuminating it for merely one half of a second; but still long enough for me to notice a single tear slide down his face; yet nothing more.

While he was bent over me, a surge of energy, probably adrenaline, rushed through my body, and I almost immediately kicked out my foot to jab him harshly in the stomach. Not expecting this sudden act, he doubled over with his fists clutching his middle. Glaring into my eyes, he muttered under his breath, "Damn it, Azula! Do you always have to have the last hit?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't answer. My words were stuck in my throat, where the pain had paralyzed them. I merely made a desperate breathing noise, as if I was trying to suck in the last sweet breaths of air before the life departed from my body entirely. It was with faded vision that I watched him lean over and set the edge of the bed on fire. He took a few steps backwards as I closed my eyes, feeling the heat grow ever closer.

"No, Azula, we _won't _be going back to the Fire Nation Palace together," he said, responding to a statement I had made hours before. "Because there's no way my life can go back to normal now. I didn't know killing you would be part of the plan…" he breathed in deeply, obviously still somewhat shocked that I was the one in the Dai Li uniform. "…but so be it."

He turned to walk out of the room, stopping at the door to look at me once more before he left. I could have sworn his mouth moved to make words, words that might have said, "You're my favorite sister, Azula…"

But I was dying. Perhaps it was all imagined.

I sighed one last breath and waited, wondering which would get me first; the loss of blood or the fire that slowly crept closer and closer.

_...But if it had to perish twice,_

_I think I know enough of hate_

_To say that for destruction ice_

_Is also great_

_And would suffice._

_--Robert Frost

* * *

_

**The End**

* * *

**More notes that will hopefully clear up confusion about this chapter will be posted in my profile once a question is asked via review or I think of any details that need to be cleared up.**


End file.
